Sensitive Dog

Sensitive Dog Julie Forbes and Darcie Boltz guide clients toward clear communication, stable leadership, and a foundation of trust for a thriving human-canine relationship.

Holistic Dog Behaviorists/Trainers 🐾

Julie Forbes (Host: The Dog Talk Show) & Darcie Boltz

Sensitive Dog Offers In Person Training & Coaching Programs

Seattle, WA Established in 2004, Sensitive Dog uses a holistic approach to dog training and behavioral wellness, creating an in-depth and elevated experience for dogs and their families. Sensitive Dog's mind-body-spirit approach is refreshing and

effective. Their style is professional, passionate, respectful, and sensitive. Clear communication, stable leadership, rule-setting, and boundaries built on self-awareness help clients and their dogs thrive. Sensitive Dog's comprehensive understanding of dog behavior, considering factors such as health, genetics, emotional life, and family dynamics, greatly impacts their approach. They offer private consultation and training for dogs of all ages, with a focus on enhancing your quality of life together. Julie and Darcie are members of NADOI - National Association of Obedience Instructors, IACP - International Association of Canine Professionals, and are ACK Canine Good Citizen Evaluators. For more information about Sensitive Dog, please visit our website.

12/12/2025

It’s the perfect season to welcome Billie Holiday back to the Sensitive Dog studio! 🎄We met Billie when she was a puppy five years ago, and her Mom came back to us for some fine-tuning and to learn some new things. Billie’s Mom was a client of ours 20 years ago with two other dogs. We LOVE supporting our clients through all life stages of their dogs, and through multiple lifetimes of dogs as the decades pass. Thank you to all of our clients over the years, new and old, for trusting us with your four-legged family members!

12/12/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨Cannoli reminds us that one of the best ways to build dogs’ confidence is to work their mind and teach them new concepts. In this, we can show dogs the magic of communication and how to trust direction and instruction. This little guy was rescued out of a hoarding situation with 17 other dogs and wasn’t interacted with much by humans. He’s skittish, but boy did he bring some good energy to his training session. Great work, Cannoli! We’re so happy for your new life!

12/10/2025

Raise an ear if you’d like to hear what Pretzel and Pearl learned in their initial session at Sensitive Dog! These two picked up “Leave-It,” “Wait” at doorways, and other useful life skills. They remind us that true impulse control is valuable to teach dogs of any age. Not only can it improve their behavior, but it also can strengthen dogs mentally and help them regulate their emotions. Great work, you two! 🙌🏼

12/02/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨ Fritz reminds us that it’s easy to forget when puppies are huge that their brains are still very young. At 8.5 months this young adolescent boy is 93 pounds already! Both Fritz and his Mom came in feeling frustrated and both left their initial session with Julie Forbes feeling relieved. We love bringing ease to the human-dog relationship! And we are so excited to witness this boy & his mom learn and grow in their coaching program at Sensitive Dog.

11/27/2025

This time of year brings so many moving parts—people coming and going, food everywhere, kids running around, new animals visiting, and a whole lot of energy that can feel like too much for many dogs. It’s also the time when we hear from parents after the holiday because something went sideways.

If your dog is sensitive, easily triggered, unsure of new people or places, overwhelmed by children, or reactive around food or visiting animals, the best thing you can do is support them, not push them. Holidays aren’t the moment to stretch a dog’s limits.

During social gatherings, you don’t always have the bandwidth to stay on top of your dog the way you normally do. You’re hosting, talking, cooking, juggling. Other people don’t have the bandwidth either—excitement, noise, alcohol, make judgment slip.

Remember that even people who consider themselves “dog people” don’t always respect your boundaries with your dog. If you suspect that may be the scene at your holiday gathering, be proactive. Set your dog up in separate, safe spaces instead of relying on others. Utilize gates, crates and separate rooms to provide time away.

Give your dog breaks for walks, sniffing, nose work, frozen Kongs or Pupcicles, and mental exercise. And if you’re only able to provide the basics like short walks and potty breaks, that’s ok. A boring day is far better than a bite incident or a full day of practicing behavior & states of mind you don’t want reinforced.

Wishing you and your dogs a peaceful, safe, connected holiday.

This time of year brings so many moving parts—people coming and going, food everywhere, kids running around, new animals...
11/27/2025

This time of year brings so many moving parts—people coming and going, food everywhere, kids running around, new animals visiting, and a whole lot of energy that can feel like too much for many dogs. It’s also the time when we hear from parents after the holiday because something went sideways.

If your dog is sensitive, easily triggered, unsure of new people or places, overwhelmed by children, or reactive around food or visiting animals, the best thing you can do is support them, not push them. Holidays aren’t the moment to stretch a dog’s limits.

During social gatherings, you don’t always have the bandwidth to stay on top of your dog the way you normally do. You’re hosting, talking, cooking, juggling. Other people often don’t have the bandwidth either—excitement, noise, alcohol, make judgment slip.

Remember that even people who consider themselves “dog people” don’t always respect your boundaries with your dog. If you suspect that may be the scene at your holiday gathering, be proactive. Set your dog up in separate, safe spaces instead of relying on others to listen. Utilize gates, crates and separate rooms to provide time away from festivities.

Give your dog breaks for walks, sniffing, nose work, frozen Kongs or Pupcicles, and mental exercise. And if you’re only able to provide the basics like short walks and potty breaks, that’s ok. A boring day for your dog is far better than a bite incident or a full day of practicing behavior & states of mind you don’t want reinforced.

Wishing you and your dogs a peaceful, safe, connected holiday.

11/25/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨
Cosmo reminds us that it’s hard to be sensitive in a noisy world and sometimes triggers can really send a dog into a panicked state. We’re so happy Cosmo and his parents came to Sensitive Dog to start the process of helping him feel more comfortable living in the city!

11/21/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨Winston reminds us that dogs who are great at communicating with other dogs give effective, appropriate corrections. He impressed us with his social behavior with his new little sister and showed how power can be asserted without causing harm. Poppy reminds us how valuable it is for puppies to learn healthy communication skills and boundary-setting from older dogs who are great communicators. She’s lucky to have such a skillful big brother.

11/20/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨ Mac reminds us that it can be an adjustment for dogs when their humans have a significant other enter their lives. This boy has always been his mom’s “only boy” until recently, and although he likes the new boyfriend, he’s not liking aspects of sharing his mom and not always being next to her! At Sensitive Dog, we love helping families adjust to new configurations, and we know Mac is going to do great!

11/19/2025

We are so happy to welcome two ex-racing greyhounds & their parents to Sensitive Dog! These beautiful boys remind us how powerful it can be for dogs to learn to think in new ways and how challenging a dog’s mind, when done skillfully, can build their confidence and deepen your understanding and connection. We're so glad for the new and wonderful life ahead of these sweethearts.

11/13/2025

Every dog is a teacher. Pepper reminds us that preparation for the arrival for a new (human) baby is best done months in-advance! We love helping dog-human families prepare for new arrivals, both two-legged and four-legged!

11/11/2025

✨Every dog is a teacher.✨ Oliver reminds of just how wonderful it is to belong to a human who seeks training simply to enhance your life. Even very tiny dogs can have big drive to do meaningful work and express their intelligence. Ollie is a lucky boy and we got to meet with him and his Mama today for sophisticated enrichment training to tap this boy’s brilliant mind! So fun!

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3006 S Brandon Street
Seattle, WA
98108

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